Found the key to good Quinoa!

[mkksmom]

Thought I'd share. I was trying to intro more quinoa in our diet and only found one brand in my grocery store. I read that you should rinse it, so I did, but it was still so bitter. We decided we really didn't care for it. Then I read reviews on Amazon and some claimed Bob's Red Mill wasn't as bitter. It's pre-rinsed, and I rinsed it again, and it was so much better. Even my DH and my sometimes picky dd liked it. I had to buy a while case of it on Amazon, and I'm so glad I took a chance on it. So-- anyone have any good recipes for quinoa?

[MSWmama]

We make southwest quinoa a lot. I don't have the recipe in front of me, but if you google it I bet they're all similar. We eat it with tacos. Yum!

I buy our quinoa in bulk from the co-op and then soak it for around 2 hours before cooking. Makes it easier to digest and taste better! Be careful, though, it absorbs water so you end up with more quinoa than you started with!

[ollyoxenfree]

I've posted this one before, but I think it remains our favourite quinoa recipe: 

Lemon Scented Quinoa

[beebalmmama]

We buy the quinoa in bulk and just do a quick rinse, if at all. But then I've never found quinoa to taste bitter like they say it does without rinsing.

[Bantams]

We prefer to soak ours for 12-18 hours - this really helps with bitterness.  And salt always counteracts bitterness, so use a good amount when cooking it.

My whole family eats it for breakfast as a hot cereal with milk and raisins.  But I prefer mine with a drizzle of really good olive oil and (more!) salt.

My favorite dish in the summer is a chilled quinoa and tomato salad. 

Mix a vinaigrette: olive oil, a touch of balsamic, plenty of lemon juice, salt and pepper, and crushed garlic.

Vegetables: halved cherry tomatoes or diced large tomatoes, diced red bell peppers, chopped cucumber, diced onion if you like it.

Combine cooked and cooled quinoa with plenty of vegetables, lots of chopped fresh herbs (basil, cilantro and/or mint), and the vinaigrette.  Give it a stir and chill it until you're ready to eat.  So good on a hot day with all those wonderful tomatoes/etc and herbs from the garden!

Kelsey

[Brighids Flame]

Bantam, that recipe looks really tasty, I think I might make it for my school lunch this week!!

This recipe is really yummy, but the layering they recommend is a PITA! I made it for our weekly dinner with friends, and we all agreed that the peppers could easily just be mixed in with the onions, mushrooms and tomatoes in the center between the two layers of quinoa (alternately, everything can be chopped smaller and mixed in with the quinoa before baking). One friend even recommended using jarred roasted red peppers if you're in a big hurry.

http://recipes.prevention.com/Recipe/quinoa-and-vegetable-casserole.aspx

[I-Love-Alaska]

I am another one that LOVES cold quinoa salads!!

Another great way to use quinoa (leftovers woulk wonders for this) is to warm it up for breakfast- just add some almond milk and blueberries! It's delish!

[Caneel]

I cook our quinoa in chicken broth and don't find it to be bitter at all, many it is because of the salt? 

I like to top our quinoa with cubbed butternut squash, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts or pecans, crumbles of blue cheese or gorgonzola cheese or parm cheese - often a combination of these ingredients.

[wandering]

I am not a huge fan of quinoa; it's okay, but I usually prefer to skip it when I do make it with dinner.  I always cook it in (homemade) chicken broth, which helps add some flavor.

However, tonight I made a sort of taboulli with quinoa and it was so good!  I had leftover quinoa (mixed regular and red) and added some olive oil, lemon juice, salt/pepper, parsley, and diced tomatoes. yum!  I've also made a summer quinoa salad and loved it.  It was either this recipe or one very similar.  I guess I just prefer cold quinoa to hot.
 

[CoBabyMaker]

I like to top our quinoa with cubbed butternut squash, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts or pecans, crumbles of blue cheese or gorgonzola cheese or parm cheese - often a combination of these ingredients.

Oh that sounds so yummy! 

[mkksmom]

Thanks for the ideas. I'm looking forward to trying some.

[SandraMort]

I'm going to say something slightly gross, for which I apologize in advance, but you really need to be warned.

The first time I bought quinoa, I washed it and cooked it.  Once it was cooked, it became HORRIBLY obvious that it had been infested with bugs, so I threw it out.  The second time I bought quinoa, I did the same but it was full of bug larvae again, so I threw it out.  The third time I bought quinoa, same thing!!!

I concluded that you can't get decent quinoa and didn't buy it again for YEARS.  One day, I was talking to a friend about it and she started laughing.  Apparently that's just how quinoa IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK.  Each seed becomes transparent with cooking with what l can only describe as a maggot-looking thing in the center.  My friend commented that SHE thought it looked more like a sperm, if that helped any!

Anyway, if it's in a gravy or something, you can't really see it.  That's the only way I can eat it!

Sandra
 

Originally Posted by mkksmom 

Thanks for the ideas. I'm looking forward to trying some.

[motherhendoula]

LOL - SandraMort - too funny!! 

i actually skip the rinsing off part and toast mine - plain, no butter/oil anything in the pan - for about 3 -4 minutes or so  (long enough for the 'larvae' to start jumping!  Of course - i cant buy mine in bulk - i have to buy it out of a box which says its been 'pre-rinsed' .  I cook it with plenty of garlic, sea salt and olive oil. 

[sunnygir1]

I made a quick chicken soup with quinoa that was awesome.  I had already made the bone broth earlier.  I had about a cup of quinoa left in my jar, so I filled the quart jar with filtered water and left it to soak while I made the soup.  I sauteed onions, celery, carrots, green beans, garlic, salt, pepper, and then I drained, rinsed, and added the quinoa.  I sauteed it for a minute or two, then added the stock and let it cook.  When the carrots and quinoa were about done I added the chicken and served it.  The quinoa didn't turn to mush or disintegrate, even when we reheated leftovers.  The kids loved it, too.

[JudiAU]

We use the Bob's too and it is never bitter.

[zuzunel09]

There's a greek dish called spanakorizo that I make with quinoa (basically a grain and spinach pilaf).

Just cook the quinoa in veg or chicken stock according to direx.

In a large pan saute one minced onion with two garlic cloves over low/med heat until translucent.  Chop up 1 lb. fresh spinach (this is a lot of spinach but cooks down to less than 3 cups) and slowly add to sauteing onions until wilted.  Stir in quinoa and heat through.

We eat it topped with feta cheese, pine nuts, or red wine vinegar.  I use the Ancient Grains brand of quinoa and it's never been bitter.